Forgotten Fad: Popcorn Stores (1982-1985)

Around 1982, all these “gourmet” popcorn stores started opening up in malls around America. Butter and caramel no longer cut it – you had to have watermelon and pina colada-flavored popcorn if you were anyone. (The ‘80s were a heady time.) There were three main, completely identical chains. The only difference was the vicinity to the arcade: Corn Poppers, Popcorn Paradise (which is still around), and Jack’s Corn Cribs, which was owned by Odd Couple star Jack Klugman, who’d gotten hooked on popcorn in 1980 as a low-fat snack. Accordingly, Corn Cribs’ corns were low in salt, sugar, and sales.

Note: this fad is so forgotten, that I couldn’t even find any images, videos, or media to accompany this article.

From the middle of nowhere in the Pacific Northwest, I contribute to the Retroist, write for trivia publications, and blog about music in a humorous fashion. I feel about "Back to the Future" the way you feel about "Star Wars." Also, I'm married and have a child (sorry ladies, orphans).

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19 thoughts on “Forgotten Fad: Popcorn Stores (1982-1985)”

I think it is still open, but on State St in Madison, WI there is a popcorn store. The sell other things, but pretty sure it is mostly different flavor popcorn.
Looks like I have a quest to find proof of the fabled popcorn store.

That’s odd. I was visiting Boothbay Harbor the other day, and one of the too-hilarious-not-to-check-out places there, right next to the coffee shop, was a popcorn store. They had about thirty different flavors. The most ill-advised was one called “Moose Poops”. (There are times when I wonder if we New Englanders secretly dislike our tourists…)

We had one right by our “MOVIES TO GO” store in Manchester, MO, which I believe was later bought out by Blockbuster Video. I seem to remember pizza flavored popcorn, which in reality was just a littler saltier than regular popcorn.

We never had one of these in our town – the powerful pizza parlor cabal would never allow it. But it was a must visit whenever we went to the mall. I can still smell it. Now all we have are these infernal pretzel shops as far as the eye can see.

I seem to remember River Ridge Mall (in Lynchburg, Va) having a popcorn store in the 80’s. Wish I could remember more but all I’m getting is a vague visual of multicolored pop corn being sold at the front of a store. Maybe the candy store near RR’s arcade sold it.

There are popcorn stores around, mostly in the big cities where you have Dale and Thomas and Garrett’s, but some small stores that are around too. I know, I own one, the Adirondack Popcorn Co. in Lake Placid, NY.

You need to visit the midwest. They’re everywhere. Last time I visited family in Iowa my sister went in to one at the mall and got both chicken curry flavored popcorn and a cheeseburger flavored popcorn. She even Instagrams pictures of said multi-colored popcorn. Evidently Iowa didn’t get the memo. :(

I remember Jack’s Corn Crib. It was in City Center in downtown Minneapolis. Shame that it’s gone because that’s where I learned to love Caramel Cheese corn. No the Chicago mix of caramel corn mixed with cheese corn, caramel corn tossed with cheddar cheese. De-lish! Fortunately for me, the franchise Karamelcorn now makes it, calling it TwisterCorn. I can still get my fix.